Spirit of Fire
by Mynosin
Summary: Kasai Uzumaki has always done her best to take care of her twin. She never really thought she would make a good ninja or that she would be anyone worthwhile. Follow her as she discovers how wrong she was, makes new bonds, and maybe even falls in love.
1. Prologue

Prologue

A petite child with red streaked blonde hair ran through the village. She had gotten a small bit of money and was going to take her brother to his favorite place to eat, Ichiraku Ramen. Deep blue eyes sparkled in excitement despite the whispers and looks directed her way. She bolted up the stairs to their small apartment and burst in. Naruto looked up at her from where he was laying on the floor. "Oi, I have money so let's go eat," she gave him a small smile.

He just stared at her for a bit dully. Kasai sighed and headed to where he was laying. "Ne, Naru, come here," she sat down and crossed her legs.

After a moment Naruto laid his head on her lap. Kasai lazily ran her fingers through his spikey hair, and didn't say anything when tears started to hit her skin. They sat there for an hour with Naruto crying and Kasai comforting him as best she could. Something two five-year-olds shouldn't have to do. Finally, Naruto's tears stopped and he sat up. His eyes were red, puffy, and raw. Standing, Kasai went to the bathroom and wet a washcloth. She carefully covered his eyes with it and leaned her shoulder against his. "Naruto, I'm giving you a job," he tilted his head a bit to show he was listening. "From now on you have to be my sunshine. I want to always see you smiling. Your smile makes everything better. Don't let anyone bring you down, they're just jealous of how awesome you are."

He was quiet for a bit, before a beaming smile split his face. "Believe it!" he shouted, giving her a thumbs up.

She couldn't hold in her laughter and he soon joined her. Eventually her laughter turned to giggles. "Thanks, Naru, you're really amazing."

Naruto's big blue eyes sparkled with delight and he kissed her cheek. "Thanks, Kasai."

Together they left their apartment and headed to the best ramen place ever. Teuchi greeted them with a smile and asked them what they wanted. "Pork for me!" Naruto shouted.

"Beef, please," Kasai said in her soft voice.

Teuchi smiled at his two very different customers. They were twins, but their personalities were very different. Naruto was normally loud and smiling, Kasai was more of a silent presence and her smiles were for special people. "So, what's new with my favorite customers?"

"We're starting the academy soon, believe it!" Naruto exclaimed with a sunny smile. "I'm getting closer to being Hokage!"

Frowning, Teuchi turned to face them. "Both of you?" he asked with furrowed brows.

Kasai nodded with her eyes shut. "Mmhmm, I can't let Naruto go by himself now can I?"

His frown deepened and he returned to his cooking. Kasai watched him for a bit before her eyes softened. "Teuchi-jii jii, you don't need to worry about me. Naruto will be there with me."

Teuchi sighed before smiling at the observant little girl. "Alright, Kasai. You know I can't help but worry about my favorite customers."

"Hey, where's Ayame-nee?" Naruto made a show of looking around for the kind brunette.

"She's sick today," Teuchi explained, placing the ramen before the two.

They both frowned at that. "Please let her know that we wish for her returned health," Kasai said.

Together they broke their chopsticks. "Thanks for the food!" the two called together.

Teuchi watched them with a smile and laughed at their antics. They truly were something else.


	2. Chapter 1 The Start of Her Journey

Chapter 1.

Kasai woke up before Naruto as usual, grabbed her clothes, and headed to the bathroom to shower. They had been going to the academy for three months now, and while Kasai did fairly well, Naruto was more focused on getting noticed. He had kept his promise to not cry anymore though. The villagers would get so mad when instead of crying at their abuse, Naruto would give them a challenging smile. Kasai didn't like that they were separated a lot due to kunoichi training, but it could be worse.

Once she got out of the shower she put on her black knee-length shorts, long sleeve dark blue shirt, and blue ninja shoes. She stood on the stool they had made for their bathroom and looked in the mirror. She stared at her big deep blue eyes, chin-length sunny blonde hair with natural dark red streaks in it, and delicate sun kissed features with the same whisker marks her twin had. After brushing her hair and teeth she went to the kitchen and looked in the fridge to see if they had any good food. Wrinkling her nose at the smell of rotten eggs and spoiled milk she shut the door and stuck a note on it telling Naruto not to use it. Sighing, she left the apartment and headed to the market. She knew she could snitch an apple if she was careful. Though if she got caught Hokage-jii jii would no doubt give her another long-winded lecture.

A shadow passed over her and she almost facepalmed. "Stupid Jii jii," she grumbled, "I don't need any stupid Anbu watching me, " she raised her voice a bit. "So go away!"

Kasai could almost feel their snickers at her misfortune. Her face turned into a pout and a small blush dusted her cheeks. Once she reached town, her face turned serene. Naruto smiled and laughed it off; she acted like she didn't even notice. At 5:30, not a lot of people were out, but the ones that were wasted no time in glaring at her and whispering about her. As she headed through the market she carefully watched the fruit stands, waiting for one of the vendors to be preoccupied. There! The lady was turned around to grab another crate. She quickly snatched an apple and began to walk away when she heard the lady let out a shout of surprise. Kasai turned to see her falling and hesitated for just a second before grabbing her hand and helping to steady her. Once the lady recovered she opened her mouth to thank the person who helped her until she saw who it was. She faltered and Kasai steeled herself. After a minute the lady simply nodded her thanks with a tense face and returned to her business. Kasai stared for a moment longer before turning and walking away. She headed into the surrounding forest and calmly walked to the training spot she had found a few weeks ago. "No one comes here, Anbu-san. You can come out," Kasai said quietly.

After a moment of nothing she sighed. The girl wouldn't admit it, but she was getting really lonely without her twin. She spun around at the sound of a snapping branch only to see an Anbu behind her. "Weasel," she said softly with a small smile on her face.

He nodded at her and walked silently towards her. Kasai watched him hesitantly, body tensed to run out of habit despite knowing he wouldn't hurt her. He was the only other person here so he would talk with her and help her a bit. "You shouldn't have stolen that apple," he said disapprovingly.

Blue eyes pierced his mask. "Survival," she said after a bit and turned away from him.

She stared blankly ahead for a bit before sighing. Naruto wasn't the only one who kept getting kicked out of class after all. She had only been going to the academy for three months and she was wondering if she was even cut out for this. She was always told that kunoichi were more assist than combat, and Kasai wasn't like that. She didn't have anyone she could talk to who wouldn't jeer at her and tell her she was useless. "What's wrong?" Weasel asked the child who was still frozen in deep thought.

"Weasel-san… do you think that I can really become a kunoichi? Or should I give up?" Kasai asked, making sure her face was carefully blank.

The Anbu didn't answer for a time and Kasai's heart sank, thinking this was the answer. A small flash of defiance sparked in her and she whipped around. Her leg lashed out before she could realize what she was doing. A strong hand caught her leg and she blushed in disappointment of her actions. Unknown to Kasai, underneath the mask a grin was splitting the Anbu's normally emotionless face. "I think you'll do just fine."

A beaming smile spread across Kasai's face and she tackle hugged the Anbu. "Thank you!" she exclaimed, face glowing with happiness.

"Now, get to training," he said gruffly.

Kasai poked her tongue out at him before scurrying away to stretch. After that she ran three laps around the clearing, did twenty pushups, twenty sit-ups, forty jumping jacks, and forty squats. After that she turned to the targets she had put up and threw kunai and shuriken. A bunch missed, but three hit the target. She frowned and collected them. Instead of throwing a bunch like she'd been doing, she decided to just try throwing them one at a time to get the hang of it. Why she didn't think of this earlier she would never know. This continued for a while until Weasel spoke up. "You need to leave for the academy, Kasai."

She turned to look at him and nodded before collecting her weapons and storing them away. "Bye, Weasel!" she called before running towards the academy.

Kasai carefully avoided being in open places as much as possible and it was due to this that the events that changed her life occurred. She was cutting through an alley when she saw them. A group of people was surrounding something. Kasai was going to continue on her way except that she heard a pained groan. She stopped and glanced back trying to see who they were surrounding. "Stupid Uchiha, thinking they're oh so great. Well you're not so great now are you?" one of the men said as they kicked the person.

Cerulean blue eyes narrowed in annoyance at the people. Why were they so cruel? Did they have to always have someone to take their anger out on? Taking a deep breath Kasai squared her shoulders and called out. "Hey, why don't you jerk wads back off? I mean, beating up on someone who's defenseless seems pretty cowardly to me."

When they turned she gave them a cocky grin and stuck her tongue out. "It's the demon brat," she heard one of them say causing her eyes to narrow.

"Kid, get out of here," a weak voice called out.

Kasai blinked in surprise before her cocky grin turned into a soft smile. "Sorry, sir, but my brother's going to be taking care of this whole village one day. I have to help him out until then."

The dark haired man stared in wide-eyed surprise at the girl watched the men approach her. His onyx eyes flickered to the wound in his side. It was the reason he hadn't fought back. He had given up on this village and then here comes a little girl who's saying she was going to take care of an Uchiha. A spark lit in him and his eyes turned red with three tomoe around the pupil. He blurred forward, swooping the little girl into his arms and leaping up onto the roofs. He glanced down before getting them a small distance away. The child in his arms blinked up at him and then stared in surprise at his eyes. "You're a ninja?" she asked to which he nodded. "Cool," she said simply making a chuckle escape the Uchiha.

"That's all you have to say?" he questioned, amused by her lack of care.

"There are lots of ninja in our village and I've met enough to just not care. One day my brother and I will be ninja, too. I can't be too amazed," she explained matter-of-factly.

"You're a student at the ninja academy?" it wasn't very surprising if he was honest, a lot of children attended the academy.

"Yep," Kasai said with a nod. "My brother's gonna be Hokage."

The Uchiha actually stumbled at the bored voice she said it in. Like it had already been decided and it was old news. "That's a large claim, kiddo."

"Not really 'cause it's gonna happen," Kasai responded.

He chuckled. "What's your name, girl?"

Kasai immediately turned wary now realizing that he didn't know who she was. "Kasai. Kasai Uzumaki."

Onyx eyes widened in surprise at that briefly before returning to normal. "Well, I'm Ayumo Uchiha. Seems like we're both outcasts, huh?"

Kasai calmly met his eyes. "Don't feel sorry for yourself. If you don't want people to look at you one way then make them look at you another. People's minds can change. Sometimes it's easy and other times you have to work your ass off."

Ayumo was starting to get used to the idea that this child was going to surprise him. "That's very wise, Kasai-chan."

"People call me a demon for being born the day of the Kyuubi's attack. It's the same for my brother. My brother is going to be the Hokage so that people will look at him for who he is. What will you do?" at the end of her small speech she grinned.

"What are you going to do?" Ayumo asked, genuinely curious.

Kasai shrugged. "Nothing I guess. I'm only becoming a ninja so my brother isn't alone. And Hokage-jii jii kind of wanted me to."

Ayumo stared at her for calling the Hokage what she had. "So, how long have you been going to the academy?"

"Three months or something like that. There's an Uchiha in my class. His name is Sasuke," Kasai suddenly said.

"Sasuke-sama is in your class?" he asked with a small smile.

Kasai's face scrunched up at the title he added to the boy's name. "Sasuke-san is the top of the class, but I don't see why he should be called Sasuke-sama. He's not that great."

Ayumo chuckled. "Sasuke-sama is from the main family. He's the second son of the clan head. That's why I call him Sasuke-sama."

"But he hasn't earned it," Kasai said after a few minutes of thought. "His dad's the clan head right? What has Sasuke-san done?"

A small grin spread across his face. He decided he fairly liked this child. "I like you," he said after a bit. "If you need any help you come to me. 'Kay, kid?"

Kasai grinned back. "Thanks, Uchiha-san."


	3. Chapter 2 Learning

OH MY GOSH!

I am so happy about those of you who have read, followed, and favorited my story! I was actually in class when I looked and almost fell out of my chair before having a mini spazz attack. Which also might be why I got concerned looks for the rest of that day… Oh well.

I really want to thank TheHobbitShorty (Hobs) who's a very good friend of mine. Her comment sincerely brightened my day. I also want to thank the guests who commented. Comments are always appreciated and it really makes me feel like my writing is somewhat good. I'm really insecure about that so you guys need to know how awesome that makes me feel. :)

For those of you who have read my HalfBlood story I'm still writing it, but I've just kinda become unsure of what to do. I have a ton of ideas but I don't want to completely jack up the Naruto plot (that's what this one's for, hahaha).

I realized I didn't say this in my first chapters, but I do not in anyway own Naruto *steals Tamaki's corner of gloom* If I did I would change a ton of things. Like Itachi wouldn't die and Jiraiya and Tsunade would be getting together. Sorry if that was a spoiler, but I figured almost everyone knew soooo…. Anyways, I sincerely need to apologize for not updating sooner, but I've been really distracted and got pulled away from my writing. I really wanted to get this updated and so that's why it's not longer. From now on I'll try to reach at least 3,000 words/chap. I hope you all enjoy this and continue to comment, follow, and favorite my story.

Chapter 2.

Over the next couple months Kasai became a fairly common face in the Uchiha compound due to her visits to Ayumo. Naruto was often busy trying to get attention during the day so Kasai usually only saw him at night and occasionally for dinner. After Ayumo had found out how the teachers treated Kasai and her brother he took it upon himself to teach Kasai the things the academy teachers wouldn't. Surprisingly Kasai was able to bring some cheer to the compound and many of the older people began to love the brightness the child seemed to exude. Outside the compound Kasai's cheerfulness was forced, but inside she was able to be herself.

One day a boy was heading to the Uchiha training grounds, his hands stuffed in his pockets and long jet black hair that was tied back in a low ponytail gently blowing in the wind. He wasn't expecting anyone to be in his usual training grounds, so when he saw a little girl that he somewhat knew practicing there he was surprised. An Uchiha that he sometimes saw around the compound was watching her. Kasai had just thrown her last shuriken and turned to see what Ayumo had to say when she caught sight of the boy. She blinked in surprise before scuffing her black standard shinobi sandals on the ground and allowing her red tipped blonde bangs to hide her eyes. Ayumo turned and bowed to the boy. "Itachi-sama, I was unaware you were back from your mission."

"I returned early this morning, Ayumo-san," Itachi responded in his normal emotionless voice.

Ayumo's eyes flicked towards Kasai, knowing she hated when people spoke like that. Sure enough, a frown had made its way onto her face. "Uchiha-san, are you Mikoto-san's son?" Kasai suddenly asked.

Itachi's onyx eyes flickered to the young Uzumaki. When he had left for his mission, his parents had never even spoken of the child much less met her, and now that he had come home they seemed at least a little familiar with each other. He took in the child before him. She was wearing a red, loose tank top, black knee-length shorts, and black standard shinobi sandals. Her hair was still the same, but her eyes seemed to be different. It was as if there was a new sparkle there, one that meant her smiles were real and not fake. "I am," he responded after a moment.

"Mikoto-san would like it more if you smiled," Kasai said with her own smile.

Itachi watched her for a moment before nodding. "Thank you."

Kasai rolled her eyes. "I didn't say it for you to say thank you, I said it so that you would listen. Your mother worries about you. You're still young, Uchiha-san. Let the older people worry about things. Enjoy your life," after speaking her wisdom she sat down with her legs crossed and began to meditate.

For once Itachi's emotionless mask was broken and he blinked owlishly at the child. Ayumo was shaking from silent laughter at the heir's completely stunned face. He always found it amusing when Kasai would say something that would stun other people. Even though she was young she was smart and people underestimated her. She might not be completely book smart, but she was more world wise than many adults. "Kasai, you seem to have kunai and shuriken down. We really need to work on your kata, math, and reading," he said, letting Itachi compose himself.

Kasai immediately started pouting. "Do I have to?" she whined.

"All the other students are capable enough in those areas. Your fighting is quite appalling. Your brother can take a hit, that's why he does so well. You, on the other hand, are a girl and not nearly as sturdy. You're small, even for your age, Kasai. If you don't learn how to hold your own you're going to get seriously hurt," Ayumo explained to the still pouting girl.

She sighed and hung her head. "Fine, can we not do it today though?" she pleaded, looking up and giving him puppy eyes.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I suppose it can wait until tomorrow. Is there a reason?" he asked, genuinely curious.

Kasai grinned and stood up. "Naru and I are going to Ichiraku's today because Jii jii said he would take us."

"Hokage-sama is?" Ayumo asked surprised.

"Mmhmm," Kasai replied in the affirmative. "Ah, Ayumo-sensei, do you want to join us?"

Itachi who had silently been watching on the side had decided to leave and come back later in the evening. Just as he turned Ayumo called out to him. "Itachi-sama, I am busy today. Would you please go with Kasai-chan?"

Itachi turned and stared at him in bewilderment. "After all," Ayumo began with a sly grin, "would you really allow a cute, little girl who is Sasuke's age to walk around town all on her own?"

Itachi felt his brow twitch before turning and stalking over to the child in question. Kasai shrunk a bit at the imposing figure before her that was giving her a dark glare with his arms crossed over his chest. Something clicked in her brain at that moment and her lips parted in a small "o" of realization. A small smile graced her face and she stood straight. "Shall we go, Itachi-san?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

He nodded and she led the way after saying goodbye to Ayumo. As they exited the Uchiha compound she glanced up at the boy beside her. "So, I guess that's why I haven't seen you recently, Weasel-san."

Itachi almost stumbled at the casual way she said that. He didn't know how she knew it was him. "How did you know?"

"The way you were standing," Kasai said with a grin.

Itachi nodded and sent a brief glance back to the compound as if to make sure no one was watching. "So, what have you been doing at the Uchiha compound?"

"Training with Ayumo-sensei," she stated the obvious without elaborating making Itachi's eyebrow twitch.

"How did you meet Ayumo-san?" he decided to ask.

Kasai glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Normally Itachi Uchiha was quiet and he wasn't one to ask questions or pry. For him to be taking an interest in this something must be going on. "Ayumo-sensei helped me. He was injured and some villagers were being rude so I stepped in. He ended up saving both of us and offered to teach me the things I wasn't learning at the academy. I really like Ayumo-sensei. Actually, I like a lot of the Uchiha's. They're pretty nice. I wish the village would quit being so prejudiced."

"How do you know that word?" Itachi asked wondering how someone her age had a vocabulary like hers.

"I ask," she said like it was obvious.

They arrived at Ichiraku's and stopped across the street. They could just see the white robes of the Hokage and Naruto's blue sandals kicking around. "Ne, Itachi-san," Kasai grabbed his attention.

Itachi looked down to the girl only to see her bangs shadowing her eyes. "Uzumaki-san?"

"Don't do anything stupid. There are always more ways to do things than you think. Things aren't always what they seem. If you need help you can go to people. Don't shoulder the burden by yourself. Things between your family and the village are strained; I've been able to see that since I've been training with Ayumo-sensei. Don't feel so hopeless, and don't argue 'cause I can see it in your eyes. Your mom has been worried about you, Itachi-san. Maybe you should spend a bit more time at home. You're not expected to be perfect and always away on missions. You're still a kid, even if you don't see yourself that way," with that she raised her hand in farewell and hurried across the street.

Itachi heard when Naruto shouted his greeting and heard the Hokage laughing at his self-proclaimed grandchildren. When he returned home he sat in the kitchen talking with his mother while she cooked dinner. When Fugaku came home he was surprised to see his eldest son seemingly relaxed, and his wife happily chatting with him about her day. That night when Itachi went to bed he fell asleep thinking about what Kasai had said.

* * *

><p>Life continued normally for Kasai. She went to the academy, often got kicked out of class for no reason, went to train with Ayumo, then spent the evening with Naruto. Things changed when she complained to Ayumo about not understanding any of the kunoichi lessons. He had frowned and got a thoughtful look on his face before telling her he would take care of it.<p>

Once school ended Kasai slowly headed to the compound. She hadn't been kicked out of her last class so she was awkwardly walking right behind Sasuke Uchiha. After a while Sasuke stopped and whirled around. "Why are you following me?" he demanded.

Kasai tensed up, not used to talking to people her age. "I'm not following you, Uchiha-san. My sensei is in the Uchiha compound."

He frowned at her. "That's a lame excuse to be following me."

Kasai's eyes narrowed at his unwavering belief that she was following him. "Uchiha-san, if I were attempting to follow you I would most likely be hiding instead of being in plain view. Normally I'm already at the training grounds with Ayumo-sensei when you leave the academy."

Sasuke felt a bit of doubt that the girl was actually following him. He hadn't really seen her in class. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Kasai Uzumaki," she said, unsurprised of him not knowing her.

Sasuke felt his eye twitch at her surname. "Like that dobe?" he asked.

The blonde tilted her head to the side. "I suppose that's something you could call my twin," with that she started walking again, not paying any attention to his stunned expression.

Kasai reached the Uchiha training grounds and hurriedly bowed to her teacher. "Sorry, I rushed here as soon as class ended."

He chuckled and ruffled her hair. "That's alright, chibi," he said, watching cheerfully as the chibi in question fumed.

"It's not my fault I'm short, you meanie!" she exclaimed.

He just laughed loudly in response while walking towards the training dummies. "Alright, I want you to work on the kata we've been using."

Kasai sighed and nodded. She went over the moves, trying to make them as fluid as they could be for about an hour. "That was good, Kasai-chan," Ayumo said smiling slightly when she flopped to the ground dramatically. "Are you done for today?"

Kasai was catching her breath so she shook her head. "No way. If I wanna get better I have to train. I'm still good for some more."

His smile broadened at his student's determination. "Well, I think I've found the perfect style for you, Kasai. You're small, and while that can be a disadvantage when it comes to strength, it can be an even greater advantage when it comes to speed. We can start working on that if you would like."

Kasai stood up and shook her arms out. "Let's get started."

Ayumo pulled out a brush and ink. "I'm going to place seals on you that will help this along. Seeing as you're too young for weights this is the best option."

She tilted her head to the side in confusion. "What are they?" she asked.

"Resistant seals. They work similarly to weights, but without the damage to your growth. You are not allowed to remove them, only I can adjust them. Once you get used to them I'll increase the resistance. Ready?"

Kasai thought it over briefly, weighing the benefits. "Yes, Ayumo-sensei," she said cheerfully.

He drew the seals on her wrists and ankles carefully. Once he finished she examined them carefully. Kasai stared at them in confusion, unable to decipher them. "What language is that?" she questioned causing Ayumo to chuckle.

"It's not really a language. It's a ninja art. The Fourth Hokage actually mastered it. He was famous for his fuinjutsu," Ayumo explained to his curious pupil.

He watched the way her eyes examined it, saw that spark in her eyes. That was the spark that he had been looking for. That spark that said she wanted this for her. He chuckled softly, realizing he would need to start researching fuinjutsu. "Alright, test it out, brat."

Kasai took a few steps and frowned. "This is weird, sensei. I'm going to get killed in taijutsu."

Ayumo just laughed at his pupil. Both were unaware that a certain old man was watching them in a crystal ball. He chuckled and bit his pipe, happy to see his granddaughter so happy.


	4. Chapter 3 Growing Up

Chapter 3.

Kasai had once again been kicked out of kunoichi training and headed towards the woods, hoping to get some training in before returning to the academy. The Uchiha compound was too far away so she decided to wander around to settle her mind. She was walking along the faded path, lost in her thoughts. The light filtered through the dark green leaves of the trees, giving enough light to see without being too bright. Animals moved, making leaves rustle, and birds chirped to each other. This was where Kasai was the most comfortable. Whenever she was tired she came to the forest; she always had. The peace wrapped around her, sweeping her worries away as simply as the wind ruffles the leaves.

She wasn't paying attention where she was watching when she tripped over a rock. Kasai fell into the thicket to her right. Thorns scratched her arms and face and when she landed she sprained her wrist. "Ow," she mumbled, standing up and rubbing her head.

When she looked up her sky blue eyes widened in surprise. In front of her was an old, rickety building. The wood was weathered and rotting and the glass was broken. Curiosity got the best of her and she headed up the creaking steps. She turned the rusted handle and was surprised when the door opened soundlessly. The hair on the back of her neck stood up a bit when she stared at the black expanse before her. She cautiously slid one foot forward, hand reaching for her kunai. Her hand searched the wall to her right for some king of switch or light source. Finding one, she flipped the light switch.

Her mouth fell open in amazement. The inside was a far cry from what the outside suggested. Everything was in perfect condition aside from a coating of dust. There was a table in the center of the room with a large chair like the one in the Hokage's office. The table had a couple books on it as well as opened notebooks and a few trinkets here and there. There was a picture that couldn't be made out due to the dust covering it underneath the lamp at right side of the table. There were bookshelves lining the walls that were stocked full of books, some old and fraying, some new, and many that were handwritten. There was a small kitchenette through a door to the left of the research room, and a door leading to a small bedroom towards the back. Kasai hesitantly looked around, keeping her kunai ready. Once she had determined that no one was around and that no one had been there in a while, she put the kunai away. Curiosity got the better of her and she went to the bookcase. Brushing some of the dust off of the spines of a few books, she was once again surprised. The books were about fuinjutsu. Glancing around once more, Kasai grabbed one of the notebooks and cracked it open. There were all kinds of seal designs written. Some were scratched out and others had notes scribbled all around them. The handwriting was beautiful, Kasai noted. The designs seemed very intricate and complicated.

After putting the notebook away, Kasai looked around once more. This must have been where a master fuinjutsu user kept their research. Kasai slowly left the room and thought. She was very interested in fuinjutsu, and obviously whoever had owned this place had abandoned it or could not return to it. She glanced back once more. Now that she knew what the inside was like, she could easily tell that the rickety old shack she was seeing was only a genjutsu. After debating Kasai headed back the way she came, making nondescript markings so that she could easily navigate her way back. If such an amazing source of knowledge was open to her, she was going to take full advantage of it. Of course, she would need to fix it up some. Sunday was when she had her afternoon off so she would do it then. Any supplies she needed that she didn't have she could just snitch, and really the main problem with the place was the years of dust covering everything.

She reached the academy and settled into a seat next to Naruto just as the bell rang. The teacher wasn't there yet so she turned to her twin. "Hey, Naru," she murmured, giving him the smile that was reserved especially for him.

"Kasai, I met some really cool guys!" Naruto exclaimed to her. "When you're in kunoichi lessons we skip class together," Naruto continued to tell her about the three for a few more minutes until the sensei walked in.

Kasai examined him carefully. He was young, with brown spiky hair in a ponytail, brown eyes that expressed his emotions, a scar over his nose, and a somewhat nervous appearance. He took a deep breath before letting it out and smiling. "Hi there, I'm Iruka Umino. I'll be your new instructor from now on."

There were cheerful hello's all around and he smiled more cheerfully at everyone. When his eyes settled on her and Naruto she saw that his smile became more strained. Kasai's eyes narrowed at him and she let out another sigh. It seemed this teacher would be no better than any others. Throughout the class Kasai zoned out. Uninterested in learning anything this teacher had to say. "Kasai-san, can you tell me what the Five Great Nations are?" Iruka asked.

Kasai looked at him from the corner of the eye completely bored. "Yes," she said without elaborating.

"Would you please tell me?" he asked, smiling that fake smile that Kasai hated.

"As the teacher shouldn't you know?" she responded, knowing that if any of her guardians had heard her she would have been skinned alive.

Instead of giving he a response he moved his gaze onto Sakura Haruno and asked her the same question. "Konoha, Suna, Iwa, Kumo, and…." She trailed off, blushing and glancing around.

Kasai had no problems with the pink haired girl, actually quite liking her for how smart she was. Occasionally they would talk in school, but not often seeing as Kasai didn't want Sakura to get in trouble for playing with "the demon" of the village. So, seeing her struggling, Kasai had no qualms helping her out. "Mah, Naruto, I could really use some water," she said loudly, emphasizing water.

"Sakura-san?" he asked, again ignoring the Uzumaki twins.

"And Mizu," Sakura finished, sending a discrete, thankful glance to Kasai who returned it with a small grin.

Kasai watched Naruto try to get kicked out of the class by being disruptive, but the whole time he was ignored. After giving a sarcastic answer to every question Iruka asked, he learned to not ask her anything. Glancing at the time and seeing it was almost time to leave, Kasai heaved a sigh. As soon as the bell rang she bolted from the classroom, barely giving Naruto the customary kiss on the cheek, before speeding to her sensei. Insults and abuse she could handle, but the one thing she hated more than anything was being ignored.

When Kasai showed up to practice Ayumo immediately knew something was wrong. "Kasai?" he questioned.

After almost half an hour of her not saying anything she suddenly exploded. "I hate my new teacher! What kind of teacher ignores his students? He's just as bad as anyone else in this stupid village."

"Kasai," Ayumo chastised frowning, "that's not something you should say."

"It's true!" she started crying. "What has this village ever done for me besides making my brother and I miserable?"

Ayumo felt a small sting at that, but pulled her into a hug and hushed her. Sometimes it was hard to remember that she was only a child and would handle things the way a child would. "I have something that will cheer you up," he told her, starting to head off towards the Uchiha's housing district.

He slowly approached the head household, holding Kasai's hand as he did. The woman he was looking for was actually outside with her son and his cousin. The lovely woman had blue-black hair that fell in a satiny curtain to her waist, kind onyx eyes, and a sweet demeanor. She was Kasai's favorite woman and often enough she saw Mikoto as a mother figure. Itachi was standing with another Uchiha with the standard Uchiha looks, despite the beaming smile on his face. "Mikoto-sama," he called.

She looked up with a smile about to give the two a warm greeting when she noticed how Kasai was practically clinging to his hand. Itachi also noted the odd behavior of the girl and frowned minutely. Shisui stared curiously at the two. Knowing Ayumo from missions together and he assumed the child was the Kasai that many of the clan were speaking of due to her definitely not Uchiha attributes. "Kasai-chan?" Mikoto questioned worriedly in her sweet voice. "Are you alright, honey?"

Kasai gave a small nod, unwilling to say anything for fear of crying some more. It was embarrassing enough that her sensei had seen her crying, no way would she let anyone else see that side of her. Not even Naru. Itachi immediately knew she had been crying from the puffy red eyes that were hardly noticeable. "Ne, Kasai, do you know Shisui?" he asked suddenly, diverting any more questions his mother might have.

Kasai glanced at the male beside the young anbu. He was a couple years older with the signature black hair and eyes of the Uchiha clan. The thing that really made him stand out was his completely expressive personality that was so different from his clan. She had seen him around the compound a few times, but had never spoken to him. "Hello, Shisui-san," she said bowing in greeting.

"Uzumaki-san," Shisui greeted back cheerfully, grinning a bit when Kasai's shoulders slumped a bit in relief.

"What brings you here Ayumo-san?" Itachi asked, genuinely curious.

"Ah, Mikoto-sama has offered to teach Kasai what she's not learning in kunoichi lessons," Ayumo explained surprising everyone except Kasai.

"Mother?" Itachi said softly; asking his question without actually asking.

"When I heard about poor Kasai-chan being unable to excel in her lessons I offered to assist her," Mikoto knelt down in front of the girl. "After all, how else could I repay her for all that's she's done?"

Kasai didn't mention that she had an idea on the best way to repay her for whatever she'd done for them, instead she blushed and ducked her head. "What do you mean, Mikoto-sama?"

Mikoto giggled and glanced at Itachi. "Well, Itachi-kun's been taking a few less missions and has been spending more time with Sasuke and I. The clan also seems to have brightened up quite a bit."

"Mom!" a black, blue, and white blur yelled tackling her in a hug.

Kasai blinked in shock to see Sasuke Uchiha acting like a child in front of so many people. She almost couldn't hold in a giggle. Sasuke glanced up and stared at her in surprise. "What are you doing here, Uzumaki?" he spat.

"Sasuke!" Mikoto reprimanded, watching Kasai anxiously.

Kasai just rolled her eyes. "I don't see how that's any of your business, Uchiha-chan."

Sasuke turned red and glared at her. "This is my home, Orokana."

At that Kasai couldn't withhold a giggle. "Glad to see you, too, Sasuke."

They both started laughing, leaving the adults confused. "Mah, did you get the homework?" Sasuke asked her.

"Mm," she nodded in the affirmative. "Work on it together later?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said cheerfully.

After the first time they had met, Sasuke had sought her out at school. They had talked a bit in the library, sometimes sparred before classes started, and often worked on their homework together so that they had more time for other things. They had become sort of friends after a while. "Sorry for leaving you earlier, Sasu-chan. I wanted to get here quickly," Kasai explained.

"Kasai-chan, are you ready to begin lessons?" Mikoto decided to interject, eager to get to know the child more.

"What's going on, Kasai?" Sasuke whispered.

"Kunoichi lessons," she mumbled back. "We'll work on the homework afterwards, 'kay?"

He nodded and they fist bumped before she followed Mikoto to the garden behind the house. Itachi watched them walk away before turning to Ayumo. "Are you sure about that?" he questioned.

Ayumo chuckled while shaking his head. "Honestly, no, but Kasai needs kunoichi lessons and Mikoto-sama's the only one who will teach her without prejudice or hidden agendas."

Shisui noticed Sasuke's attentive stare and ruffled his hair. "Head on inside, Sasu-chan," he teased. "We'll be in in just a bit."

Sasuke pouted, but obeyed his favorite cousin. "Kasai is one of the nine-tails jinchuuriki," Itachi murmured. "If the Uchiha were to use her there would be no stopping them."

Ayumo shook his head and stared fondly after his student. "I'm not concerned. Mikoto and Kushina were close friends. Mikoto would never betray her friend like that. She cares for Kasai as if she were her own, after all."

Shisui nodded sagely at that. "Don't you remember when Kushina-nee was still around? We didn't just have one set of parents 'Tachi-chan. Kasai didn't get that, but Mikoto is determined for her to at least have one."

"Besides, if anyone were to do something like that to her, Kushina-sama would return from the grave," Ayumo said cracking a smile.

Itachi relaxed some with their reassurances. "There are still tensions between the village and the clan, but the clan doesn't seem to be as ready for blood," he said softly to the other two.

"I believe it might have to do with Kasai-chan," Shisui mused. "Ever since she started coming here, the clan has brightened up considerably. The other day I saw old man Sukuruji smiling and talking with her. He always hated us when we were her age."

"That's because you were a little devil," Ayumo said sagely making Shisui pout.

"Are you saying I'm not anymore?" he whined, almost making Itachi roll his eyes.

"I hope that soon things will be resolved completely," Itachi said quietly. "Minato-san would not like seeing what his village has become."

Kasai was listening to Mikoto tell her about what the different flowers stood for and explaining the importance of knowing them. Sometimes Kasai forgot that Mikoto used to be a ninja. Surprisingly, Mikoto made learning about the flowers more interesting than she thought it would be. Maybe she could convince Mikoto to start teaching at the academy. "Ne, Mikoto-sama, is it true that kunoichi are only there to assist? We're only good for distracting and medical ninjutsu?"

She heard a snap and looked up to see Mikoto smiling pleasantly, a kunai snapped in half in her hands. "Now, Kasai-chan, wherever did you hear that?"

Kasai could honestly say she was afraid of Mikoto. "Um, in the academy…" she trailed off.

Mikoto had a black aura around her and she could feel the killer intent radiating off of her. Her smile did nothing to hide the maniacal fury behind it. "Kasai-chan, whoever said that is quite stupid. Kunoichi are much more than that. My, what would Tsunade-hime say about such things being taught to the future kunoichi."

The way she said it left no doubt that she knew exactly what would happen and it wasn't pretty. "Tsunade of the Sannin?" Kasai questioned. "The slug princess?"

Mikoto paused and smiled softly at Kasai. "That's right. She was kind of like an aunt to me and one of my teammates back in the day."

Kasai's eyes sparkled in excitement. "Can you tell me about your team?"

Mikoto hesitated for a moment before nodding. "My team was pretty good. It was comprised of myself, a girl names Kushina, and a boy named Ren. Kushina and I were actually rivals at first. We competed constantly to see who was the better kunoichi. She was one of the kindest people I knew, but she had a fearsome temper. Ren was the calm one in our team. He was levelheaded and was always the one to keep the peace between us."

"Do you still see them?" Kasai asked, tilting her head to the side.

Mikoto's smile took on a more sorrowful appearance. "Well, no, Kasai-chan. Kushina died during the Kyuubi attack. Shortly before that, Ren became a missing nin, but I had already retired."

Kasai couldn't help but to frown. That just seemed so wrong. It didn't take long for a new question to pop into her head. "What did Ren-san do?"

Mikoto hesitated; wondering how much was too much to say. "Well… he attacked the Yondaime," Mikoto ignored Kasai's gasp at this, "Ren was in love with Kushina, but Kushina was in love with the Yondaime who also loved her. When he attacked, the Yondaime had him cornered and he barely escaped. No one's heard from him since."

The frown on Kasai's face deepened. "If you love someone you should want what's best for them even if it's not best for you. If Ren was willing to attack the person Kushina loved then he must not have loved her very much."

Surprise filled Mikoto at the young Uzumaki's words. Honestly it was hard to remember she was so young yet so wise. She didn't know where Kasai learned the things she knew, but it was somewhat puzzling when comparing her to her brother. "I think so, too, Kasai-chan."

After lessons, instead of immediately dashing off, Kasai hung around to do homework with Sasuke. "It's not that bad," he soothed when it came to math.

"You're right," Kasai mumbled. "It's from the devil. In fact, it was probably sent by the Kyuubi."

When she said that Kasai thought she heard a growl and glanced around quickly. Sasuke just laughed at the girl's misery. "Kasai, you understand this better than me probably," Sasuke finally said.

The four adults in the room were startled by this admission. "Well," Kasai sat up, a small frown on her face. "Jii jii said that next year Naru and I are supposed to take the exam."

Ayumo frowned at this admission. "I didn't know that, Kasai-chan."

Kasai simply shrugged. "It's not important. I don't think I'll pass anyways."

Sasuke couldn't help but scoff. "Of course you aren't. It's not like you've read all the books for the next few years or like you can already do a lot of the things the older kids can do or that you always ace any tests you take."

Kasai rolled her eyes. "It's never for certain what's on the exams; besides, if I don't get high scores on the test they probably won't pass me."

"Whatever," Sasuke sulked, making Kasai laugh.

"You know my clones suck, Sasu-chibi," she said, pouting at the truth of the matter. No matter how much she worked, her clones were always a bust.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Because you have way too much chakra."

"I can't help it!" Kasai exclaimed.

Sasuke threw his pencil at her. "How do you do this problem, Kasai?"

Kasai briefly glanced at it and scribbled how to set the problem up in his book in less than thirty seconds. Sasuke pouted. "Seriously… all you do is that?"

Kasai just nodded and returned to her own homework. As soon as she had finished the last problem, she closed her book. With a sigh she stood up. "Ok, Sasu-chibi, it's time for me to leave. I'm sure Naruto is going to be causing some kind of havoc by now."

The two children frowned, confusing the adults. How much trouble could one child cause? "I bet he's pulled some prank on one of the clans," Sasuke said wisely.

Kasai tsked. "I don't doubt it. Probably the Inuzukas again."

Sasuke nodded and crossed his arms. "Better hurry before they catch him."

With a groan, the sunny child bowed to the adults. "See you tomorrow, Sensei!" and with that she rushed off to find her troublemaking brother.

The next day she was once again kicked out of kunoichi lessons. Instead of randomly wandering around, she grabbed the cleaning supplies she had stashed in the nearby woods and headed to the shack in the woods she had found. It was easy to find with the markings she had left. Once there she immediately opened the doors and windows and began dusting. It took a majority of her time to just do that. There were inches upon inches of dust covering every surface in the building. The mattress in the other room was a hopeless cause so Kasai tossed it out. She could just bring one that one of the rich clans tossed out if need be. Once she was done fixing it up she didn't have time for anything else and rushed back to the academy. Iruka once again ignored her and Naruto, successfully darkening her mood. She didn't think it could get any worse until an anbu appeared in the classroom. "The Hokage wishes to see Kasai Uzumaki. Immediately."

Kasai frowned at the man in front of her. The Hokage didn't usually pull her out of class. With a shrug Kasai stood, kissed Naruto's cheek, and walked towards the anbu. He pivoted and ghosted out of the room. Outside she stopped. This anbu was weird. Normally they would disappear, this one stayed in plain view and started walking towards the village, whereas normal anbu knew that she tended to take to the woods. Instantly she flared her chakra. She released so much chakra that the ground around her cracked a little. The faux anbu flashed to her side and reached for a pressure point to knock her out when he was kicked aside. A red-eyed glare met the masked assailant when he faced him. "Shisui-san," Kasai said in surprise.

"Hey, Kasai-chan," he said cheerfully, not once looking away from the attacker.

"You were fast, Shisui," a monotone voice came from behind the masked man.

He glanced behind him to see the infamous Itachi Uchiha. "Indeed, I must thank you for getting to my dear student in time," Ayumo lazily said from the side, leaning against the tree trunk.

Despite their lazy postures, their blazing sharingan showed the rage they all felt. Kasai had become an integral part of their life. Anyone who tried to harm her was just looking for a slow, painful death. "Shisui, would you mind getting Kasai out of here?" Ayumo asked.

After glaring at the masked nin for a moment longer, Shisui scooped Kasai up. "Let's go, Kasai-chan."

With that, Shisui shunshined them out of there and to the Hokage's tower. The Hokage looked up from his paperwork, startled. "Shisui?" he questioned, frowning when he saw Kasai. "What's the matter?"

"A masked person attempted to kidnap Kasai Uzumaki," Shisui stated, completely professionally.

Kasai rolled her eyes and got out of his arms. "I'm fine, Jii jii. Nothing actually happened. Do I need to stay here or may I leave?"

The Hokage shook his head. "Kasai, something serious could have happened. As it is, the man who attempted to kidnap you is still out there. You need to stay here until he is apprehended and we are certain that no others are involved."

"I was afraid you would say that," Kasai said with a sigh causing the two men to chuckle despite the situation.

"I'm sure Itachi-chan and Ayumo-san will handle him quickly. After all, someone tried to touch our dear chibi-chan," at this Shisui's aura got dark and his smile seemed more menacing causing Kasai to shiver. She pitied the poor soul that would have to face the three Uchiha males that she had become so close to.

"If Itachi-san hears you call him that he'll murder you," Kasai said nonchalantly making the Hokage sweatdrop.

"Hokage-sama, would it be alright if I take Kasai to the Uchiha compound?" Shisui asked. "I'm sure she'll get bored rather fast if she has to wait here and I could go ahead and start helping her with her ninja skills."

Sarutobi lit his pipe while thinking. Sighing, he gave his assent. "Just be careful, Shisui."

Shisui flashed the Hokage a grin and scooped the petite girl up. "Well, later, Hokage-sama," he shunshined to the Uchiha compound.

Once Kasai's feet touched the ground she was immediately on him. Shisui sweatdropped at the blonde haired chibi that was suddenly in his face. "Shisui, you have to teach me that!"

"Um, no. Maybe when you're older," Shisui said, holding his hands up, hoping to placate her.

Cerulean eyes narrowed. "No, Shisui-san. I need to learn it now. What if something happened like earlier? What if no one was around to help me? I can't always fight back and win. I need a backup plan."

Shisui frowned in thought. She really had a good point, but it was still a fairly advanced technique. Despite his face being rather blank she could see the war in his eyes. She could also see she was losing. Making a snap decision that was not entirely fair, Kasai made her eyes water and she pouted up at him. Shisui flinched as he stared into the watery blue eyes, the light blush, the ultra adorable pout. Despite being an anbu ranked shinobi, Kasai's pout was something he couldn't defend against. When the tears dripped down from her glistening eyes Shisui scooped her up. He could feel some glares from a few of the clans people. "Of course I'll teach you, Kasai-chan."

A smirk quickly replaced the tears and she gave him a wicked grin. "Why, thank you, Shisui-san."

Onyx eyes narrowed at the devious little fox. "Why you little… that's cheating."

"Ninja's fight dirty," Kasai sassed back.

After being taught the basics of the shunshin, Kasai went back to the building she had found. It really was a great place and it had a ton of information on fuinjutsu. She was reading a beginner book that was showing what each symbol meant and how to put them together. Kasai was loving the benefits of fuinjutsu. She was so ready to begin actually using it. Kasai's brow furrowed in confusion. The book was talking about how the Uzumakis were the best at fuinjutsu. Kasai didn't know that there were any other Uzumakis besides her and Naruto. Kasai decided more research was in order. Tomorrow she would go to the library.

When the sun started setting, Kasai left the building and headed towards Ichiraku's, she and Naruto had decided to eat there. It had been awhile since they had seen Teuchi and Ayame. "Kas!" Naruto yelled when he saw her.

A blush bloomed across her cheeks at his loud yelling and she hurried over to him. "Geez, Naru, you don't have to yell," she murmured.

Naruto just laughed. Loudly. Teuchi looked up as the two entered his stand. "My favorite customers!" he greeted them with a large smile. "How've you two been?"

"We've been well, Teuchi-jii jii," Kasai said giving him her real smile.

"How's the academy treating you?" he asked.

"It's good," Kasai responded while Naruto drooled over the ramen. "We work a lot."

Teuchi chuckled at that. "I bet. The regular?" he asked.

"Yeah!" Naruto yelled, shaking from anticipation.

Kasai laughed at her brother and both Teuchi and Ayame paused what they were doing to enjoy the sound. "Tell me about your lessons," Ayame leaned on the counter in front of the two.

"Well, we could be graduating next year," Kasai said. "Hokage-jii jii is letting us take the exam. Lessons are hard. I don't always understand and my taijutsu is seriously lacking. Ayumo-sensei is helping me with that though."

"Ayumo-sensei?" Ayame asked, having never heard of him.

"Yeah, I go see him in the Uchiha compound a lot," Kasai said cheerfully.

Ayame paused for a second, concerned for Kasai. The Uchiha weren't always the friendliest and they might have had a hand in the Kyuubi attack. Looking at the way Kasai was smiling, Ayame let it go. She trusted the child's judgment. After all, children can see people's intentions better than adults. "Alright! Here you go," Ayame said cheerfully, placing the ramen bowls in front of the two children. "So, what do you think about becoming shinobi?"

Kasai gave a small smile. "I'm ready for it. I've been studying hard so that I can pass."

Ayame wasn't sure how to feel about Kasai's change of heart. On the one hand she was happy that Kasai seemed to be enjoying it and even looking forward to becoming a proud shinobi of the leaf. On the other though, she was worried about the girl. Shinobi led dangerous lives and Kasai was so young! "Well, as long as you're ready for it."

Kasai positively beamed up at Ayame. "More than anything, Ayame-nee! I'm ready to be a ninja like Shisui-san, Itachi-san, and Ayumo-sensei," she said with a determined glint in her eye.

"Oi, Kasai, who are those people?" Naruto asked with a frown and puffed up cheeks.

Rolling her eyes, Kasai flicked her brother's forehead. "The Uchihas, Naru."

Naruto paused and then nodded in recognition. He often forgot anyone his sister spent time with besides him. They never really talked about other people when they were together. Usually they trained, played, or vented the day's problems. "Yeah, what are we doing tomorrow? We don't have to go to the academy."

"I need to go to the library. After that I have most of the day to hangout," Kasai replied. She had to go to some training, and she really wanted to go back to the building in the woods, but she hadn't been spending enough time with her twin and she missed him.

Once Naruto finished eating Kasai placed the money on the counter and hopped down from the stool. Naruto flashed his sunny smile, grabbed her arm, and promptly ran off, dragging his poor twin behind him. "Naruto!" Kasai cried after awhile.

Naruto let her go and spun around with his arms outstretched. "Ne, ne, what do you want to do, Kas?"

"Let's go to the training grounds," Kasai offered and after a moment Naruto agreed.

"I want to show you how awesome I've gotten!" he shouted, running off full speed ahead.

Kasai couldn't resist the need to face palm before sighing and taking off after him. Her ditzy brother was a handful, but she wouldn't trade him for the world.

It had taken awhile, but now the base she had found in the forest was fixed up nicely. She had even managed to stock it with some food and she had managed to grasp the basics of Fuuinjutsu. She had been able to make a storage scroll that now carried her reading materials wherever she went. It had taken a few tries, but she had managed it. Now she was attempting to make a silencing seal. Not only had she improved in seals, but with Mikoto's help she caught up on what she had missed in her kunoichi lessons, and she had increased her speed to where she could outstrip most chunin easily. Outside of her normal training, Kasai had taken to researching what she could about the Uzumaki clan, always with the cover of a henge, and never with much success. Whatever there was to know about the clan had been erased to the fact that they were from a village called Uzushio and had once been great allies of Konoha before the third great shinobi war. She discovered that the whirlpool on the back of the flack jackets was the Uzumaki symbol that they wore to honor the village.

She had entertained the thought of asking someone, but figured if no one was willing to tell her that she and her brother were from a clan, a pretty impressive clan at that, then they wouldn't be willing to tell her anything else. So, she would just have to wait and research. Maybe one day she would even be able to go to the village and discover more about her heritage. At the moment, she was working on creating a new fighting style. It was a lot of work because she didn't know much beyond the standard academy style, the Uchiha style, and the basics she had seen from the other clan children at the academy. She had gotten the idea when Mikoto told her that she had used her own variation of the Uchiha fighting style when she was still a kunoichi. Kasai was managing to make some progress, but she still couldn't get things to flow properly.

A strange sensation made Kasai stop what she was doing and be on high alert. Someone was near her, and while she couldn't tell where they were, she knew that they were not friendly towards her. When three cloaked figures surrounded her, Kasai already had thrown her shuriken, managing to hit one in the leg. Not waiting to see what they wanted, Kasai took off, cursing the fact that Ayumo-sensei had not let her have any control of her seals. Even with them on she was extremely fast, just a blur to the eyes. The forest was a place that Kasai knew better than most people. She didn't see the ninja wire that was set up until she had sprung the trap. She avoided most of the kunai that were launched at her, but one nicked her left hip and another managed to stab her right shoulder. Kasai fell with a whimper and rolled. Before she could rise the figures were there. "So, this is the child we were sent to get rid of," one of the figures said.

Moving carefully, trying not to give anything away, Kasai reached into her kunai pouch. She barely had time to block or avoid the barrage of sharp, pointy objects that came at her. There were at least six figures and they all seemed to be around or above Itachi's level. Without further hesitation they attacked. Kasai did good to avoid a number of hits, and managed to take others without taking too much damage. Her run of luck only lasted so long before she messed up badly and three different jutsu hit her. Kasai was thrown back and laid on the ground, unable to move. Her vision was fading, at least one rib was broken, one of the earth spikes had punctured her lung, and the blood loss had gotten to her. "That was too easy," one of the people said.

Kasai barely had the presence of mind to notice that the enemies had disappeared. Honestly, everything just hurt so bad and her eyelids felt so heavy and it was getting harder and harder to stay awake…

Dull blue eyes flashed open and the tiny body jumped into a ready stance. She was in a sewer and ankle deep in water. After giving a cursory look to the room, Kasai began to move further in. She wasn't sure where she was, and sure, in an unfamiliar place it would be better to stay in one spot so she could be found, but she got the sense that no matter what she did it wouldn't matter. She could sense a strange and yet familiar presence ahead of her. She didn't quite understand it, but she was curious about the familiarity of it. After walking for a bit, she saw a giant cage that was shrouded in darkness. Inquisitive eyes searched the blackness of the prison in front of her. Just as she had determined that nothing was there and that she was just going crazy, two blazing red eyes opened.

Kasai could barely withhold the flinch from surprise and still withdrew into herself a little. "So…" an ancient, malicious voice growled out. "My jailor has deemed to grace me with her presence."

Blue eyes widened as the orange figure came into view. A towering fox was in her view. Compared to him, Kasai was an ant. A thrill of fear went through Kasai. The appearance of nine tails only made it worse. "Kyuubi…." Kasai whispered, barely breathing. "But you're… you're supposed to be… The Yondaime killed you…"

The fox watched the child in front of him, sensing her fear and getting a sadistic pleasure out of it. Her mumblings amused him and he released a chuckle. "The fourth couldn't kill me. The tailed beasts are creatures of pure chakra. The most anyone can do is seal us away."

Kasai's breath caught at the knowledge. Her mind flew through everything she knew about sealing before reaching her conclusion. The Kyuubi had been sealed inside her. It explained so much. Why they were hated, why she had such insane chakra levels, everything. But wait, if the Kyuubi was what caused her high chakra levels…. Then Naruto's would also have to be… "So, the Yondaime split your chakra between my brother and myself," Kasai said in a level voice, appearing to be totally calm even as her mind raged tumultuously.

The Kyuubi stared at the child, distantly impressed that she had caught that not only was he sealed in her, but her brother as well. "Indeed."

"Why?" Kasai asked, looking up at the beast, refusing to be angry without knowing all the facts.

The Kyuubi studied the child before him, feeling a distant sense of curiosity, as all he felt from the child was sadness and confusion. There was no anger or fear, just a glimmer of understanding that came with bad news. "Why were you and your brother chosen to be my jailor?" he clarified.

"Yes. Why were you split between us? Why did you attack in the first place? Why are my brother and I treated like we are? Why have you just now chosen to speak to me?"

"The Yondaime had his reasons for choosing you. It would be easier for the container and harder for me to take over if I was split between the two of you. That's none of your business, brat. The villagers aren't the brightest I've seen. It wasn't my decision. My guess is that you're about to die."

At this information Kasai's brain short circuited. "I'm what?! But how?! Why didn't you say something!"

The Kyuubi watched the child run around, attempting to figure out what happened. "I guess that you'll die from blood loss in the next few minutes."

This caused Kasai to whip around and stare at the beast in front of her. "But if I die wouldn't you die as well?" she paused, "Stupid question. Naruto. You're chakra would just join the rest that's in Naruto, most likely overwhelming him or killing him."

The way she said it was purely analytical, but her eyes and scent revealed the fear and turmoil she was experiencing. After another moment, she looked up at the beast. "Don't hurt my brother."

The fox raised one great eyebrow. "You're not asking for me to save you?"

"Why should I? I expected to die. I wasn't expecting my brother to be placed in danger by my death."

A chuckle emerged from the fox. "I see…" and then a moment later, "unfortunately, I find you to be amusing. Discarding a perfectly good toy has never made sense. My chakra is already working to heal you and replenish the blood lost. I expect you'll wake up in the hospital. Now go."

Kasai was thrown out of the seal and into a wall of darkness.

Waking up in the hospital was absolutely no fun. Kasai had immediately decided this when she opened her eyes to the blinding white room. Everything felt off and she was disoriented. She didn't even know there were other people in the room until a gentle hand landed on her shoulder. Kasai was crouched on the other side of the room in a flash. Terrified blue eyes stared wildly at the group of people across from her. It took awhile for her to focus on them. Ayumo stood with his hand still in the air where it had rested on her shoulder, Itachi and Shisui were calmly watching her, and Mikoto had a hand on one of both Sasuke's and Naruto's shoulders. "Kas?" Naruto asked softly.

The sound of her brother's voice immediately grabbed her attention and she fell to her knees, releasing a relieved breath. She was alive and her brother was fine. Kasai tried to feel the Kyuubi's chakra and almost sobbed when she faintly found it. Her brother didn't have to be the jinchuuriki alone. "Naru," she sobbed.

Naruto didn't hesitate to come to his sister's side. Kasai flung her arms around his neck and sobbed. Naruto gently hushed her and held her. "I'm sorry, but could you please come back later? And ask someone to let the Hokage know that my sister's awake?" Naruto asked the Uchihas.

"Of course, Naruto," Mikoto agreed, dragging her reluctant clan members out of the room. "You give that girl space, understood?"

The boys quickly agreed.

Back inside the room Kasai was calming down. "What happened?" Naruto finally asked.

"I… I was walking… and they came out of nowhere… I was scared, Naruto. I was terrified."

He held her even more tightly. Kasai never admitted if she was scared. Kasai was always serious and ready to face anything. It was almost inconceivable to hear his baby sister say such a thing. And that was it, wasn't it. She was his baby sister and he hadn't been acting like her big brother. "I should have been there…" he murmured. Kasai looked up quizzically, not having heard. "I'm sorry, Kasai."

She just cuddled closer. She just wanted contact with her twin. She may be training to be a ninja, she may secretly be one of the best in the class, but she was still just eight years old. Naruto's bangs shaded his eyes and he ground his teeth. He swore in that moment that he would become a better big brother. He would always be there for his little sister. From now on no one would touch her.

No one would lay a hand on his baby sister without serious repercussions… whatever that meant.


End file.
